Earlier this year I visited my Sensei in Okinawa. Our system is a juku, not a ryu. Essentially, a juku is a private training group. From time to time, I have thought about an appropriate name for a ryu (I guess because I am so word oriented). My Sensei is generally not interested in such things and I eventually came to better appreciate his feelings.

Nevertheless, I finally felt confident that I had come up with a fitting name and mentioned it to my Sensei. It is "Work In Progress" - Ryu. If you know my Sensei, you will understand the meaning.

Nothing in our system is hard and fixed. It may seem to change over the years -- sometimes much more quickly than that! Sometimes I think that a butterfly changes less in its life than we do! But it is because we are not seeking to learn something that already exists. My Sensei certainly is still working on himself each day. He is not content with himself, nor are most of us content with ourselves. We are all evolving, each in our own way.

Honestly, everyone's Karate is a "work in progress." Once the process is complete, then what? I think it would be time to quit! Can anyone really say, "I have mastered Karate and know all there is to know (and can do it all too!)?" I think not.

Before anyone gets too excited, I am not really suggesting that our system be called "Work In Progress" - Ryu. That was just a joke I mentioned to my Sensei. It was a joke, but not really that funny.

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"Karate Jutsu" means "China Hand art". Karate came to Okinawa from China.
Only in the 1930s or so, was the term "Karate" changed to mean "Empty Hand".
"China Hand" was used in Hawaii until after World War II, and is still used in some dojo.